On campus beat: U gets a top rating in LGBT index

The University of Minnesota is ranked among the most LGBT-friendly campuses in the nation for the second consecutive year.

It earned the top rating from the Campus Pride Index, a measurement constructed by Campus Pride, a national nonprofit working to create more LGBT-friendly learning environments.

“I think that it sends a strong message that the U is committed to inclusive excellence,” said Katrice A. Albert, vice president of the Office for Equity and Diversity at the U. “We want to make sure that our campus is as free from bias as possible.”

The index includes more than 50 self-assessment questions corresponding to eight factors from academic life to counseling and health, to student life to recruitment and retention.

Schools can choose to take the survey at any time during the year.

“Being able to … take this national assessment that is one that has been thoroughly ­validated just assists the campus in helping us think about how to improve our climate and really to demonstrate that we are working to be much more inclusive and welcoming and respectful,” Albert said.

Here’s how Minnesota schools rated (out of five stars):

• University of Minnesota — Twin Cities: ⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆

• Macalester College: ⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆

• Carleton College: ⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆

•University of Minnesota Duluth: ⋆⋆⋆⋆½ stars

•Hamline University: ⋆⋆⋆⋆½

•St. Cloud State University: ⋆⋆⋆⋆

•Augsburg College: ⋆⋆⋆⋆

•Gustavus Adolphus College: ⋆⋆⋆½ stars

•Minnesota State University, Mankato: ⋆⋆⋆½

•St. Olaf College: ⋆⋆⋆

•Metropolitan State University: ⋆⋆⋆

•Minneapolis Community and Technical College: ⋆

Jess McDonald, spokesperson for Campus Pride, said more than 80 percent of schools return to update their scores.

“It’s really important for schools to consider ways they can improve their score and make their campuses more LGBT-friendly,” McDonald said.